by Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

The NHL came down hard on Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella, suspending him for 15 days.

He can't have contact with the team during that time, which covers six games. The suspension runs through Feb. 2.

Tortorella was suspended for going down to the Calgary Flames' dressing room area to confront their coaching staff about putting out an opening lineup of tough guys, leading to a line brawl.

"Mr. Tortorella's actions in attempting to enter the Calgary Flames locker room after the first period were both dangerous and an embarrassment to the League," said NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell, who conducted the hearing. "Coaches in the NHL bear the responsibility of providing leadership, even when emotions run high, and Mr. Tortorella failed in his responsibility to the game."

But Flames coach Bob Hartley didn't escape unscathed. He was fined $25,000 by the league.

Hartley, who had to submit his lineup first during Saturday's game, started his rugged fourth line. An angry Tortorella responded with his fourth line and five fights broke out as soon as the puck dropped. Eight players were ejected, including Vancouver's Kellen Lain, who was making his NHL debut.

"We are holding Mr. Hartley responsible for the actions of Flames' right wing Kevin Westgarth, who took the game's opening face-off and attempted to instigate a premeditated fight with an unwilling opponent - the Canucks' Kevin Bieksa," said Campbell.

Tortorella was yelling at Hartley from the bench and CBC cameras caught him in the Flames' hallway during the first intermission. Flames tough guy Brian McGrattan helped keep the peace.

"I am perplexed by this fine," Brian Burke, the Flames' president of hockey operations, said of the punishment against his coach. "I stand behind Bob Hartley completely in this regard, and remain confident that he acted properly in every aspect of this game."

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said the team respected the league's ruling.

"We would also like to acknowledge our organization's full support for John and we look forward to having him back behind the bench soon," he said.

Assistant coach Mike Sullivan, a former Boston Bruins coach, is expected to run the team in Tortorella's absence.

Though he didn't address the locker room incident after the game, Tortorella said he responded with his fourth line to protect his players.

"It's easy for people to say, 'Put the Sedins out there and it's deflated,'" he said. "I can't put our players at risk. With the lineup that he (Hartley) had, I'm not going to put those types of players at risk."Tortorella added that he apologized to all of his players involved, including Lain.

"It shouldn't be in the game, that stuff," he said. "I don't want it in the game, but I have to protect my team, too."

Tortorella had been in trouble with the league before. The New York Rangers coach at the time, he was fined $30,000 in 2012 for sarcastically suggesting that the referees and NBC were conspiring to extend the Winter Classic to overtime.